


Down to the Dry Depths

by QuintessenceA



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dry Depths, Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-04-30 01:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14486025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuintessenceA/pseuds/QuintessenceA
Summary: After living the surface for a while Classic Sans tries to get an old project working. Down in the Dry Depths, Sans just wants to enjoy a nap while his brother hunts for water. Too bad it's a universal constant that Sans' can never have it easy. But don't worry, Frisk and The Great Papyrus can fix things! It's not like it's the end of the world(s), right?





	1. The Machine

With one final satifying twist, Sans set down his screwdriver and looked at his handiwork. The machine practically gleamed under that lab’s florescent lighting. Every panel and button was new, shiny, and most importantly- functional. Now was the moment of truth. Walking back to the main server bank, he began to flip switches, the careful order bringing the machine slowly to life. 

With every switch he glanced back at the main computer display. The oversized screen was showing a real time display of system status, rows of minor operations dominated by “SYSTEM: OFFLINE” sitting at the top. As he moved, Sans watched all the smaller settings change from red OFF mode to green ON, watchful for any yellow hazard or error displays. There were none.

A loud hum began to whine from the machine, building in intensity. Sans hurried to stand in front of the display, soul pounding. The smaller displays disappeared, replaced with startup script below the grand display, SYSTEM: OFFLINE.

LOADING 10% compete, all good.

LOADING 25%, fans began to kick to life from peripheral tower, earlier than expected, but still in tolerance.

LOADING 50%. Sans could feel an unusual static hum prickling across his bones. The displays didn’t show anything to be concerned about. Tight fingers of concern began to grip around his skull, but he didn’t abort.

LOADING 75%, he crossed his fingers.

LOADING 85%, he pressed his face closer to the display.

LOADING 95%.

100% LOADED

Sans was swelling with triumph as he reached to grip the last and largest power switch. This was it. Taking a deep breath, he closed his phalanges around the handle, and pulled. 

“SYSTEM: ONLI-”

CRACK!

With a cry, Sans jumped backwards as the control box under the display exploded with a bang. He threw his arms protectively over his face as shrapnel whirled past him, one piece grazing his shoulder, another striking painfully across the top of his skull. He heard the shattering of glass above him as the florescent lights took some of the hits. 

Lowering his arm, he found the room plunged into darkness. Here and there faint crackles of electricity flared to life and then quickly faded in some of the deeper recesses of the device. Sans shook his head, walking to the lab’s front door. He gripped the handle, sighing heavily before he threw it open to allow the sunshine inside.

It had been almost a year since the barrier had been broken and the monsters released from their prison under Mt. Ebott. Life was pleasant on the surface, and Sans had picked up an old project. 

He turned back into the lab, using the daylight to survey the the carnage. Surprisingly, other than the shocking (ha) remains of the control box everything looked pretty intact. Well, time to figure out what went wrong.

—

The lab grew darker as a shadow appeared in the dorrway, blocking the sunlight.

“SANS!” 

Sans smiled as he set down his screw driver, happy to have the distraction. It had been about a half an hour, he deserved a break. 

“hiya paps. come to darken my doorway have ya?”

“THE POWER HAS GONE OUT!” Papyrus announced, stepping inside. Frisk followed close behind.

“hehe, yeah, oops. sorry to leave you in the dark, my experiment got a bit outta hand.”

“A BIT? SANS! YOU BLEW OUT THE POWER GRID FOR HALF THE CITY!”

Sans sat back, blinking dumbly. “i, uh, what?”

“Can you fix it?” Frisk asked hopefully.

He frowned, bringing his hand uo to scratch the back of his neck. “sorry kiddo, if it’s that bad it’s probably at the substation. city’s gotta fix it now.”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING THAT CAUSE SUCH DAMAGE?”

Sans smiled. “i’m working on my dimensional transporter. i almost had it this time too, but yeah, something went wrong.” He waved towards the panel he’d been working on. “i took an idea from your old electricity maze, and i was sure i’d had it. then it exploded.”

Papyrus looked at him thoughtfully. “THAT PUZZLE WAS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TO CALIBRATE. MAY I SEE?”

“sure thing bro.”

—

A little while later the three of them were hard at work, Sans and Papyrus working on the panel, Frisk was helping sweep up.

“AHA!” Papyrus exclaimed, pointing at a connection. Frisk leaned in closer to get a better view. “HERE IS YOUR PROBLEM, YOU HAVE TOO MUCH RESISTANCE BETWEEN THESE TWO BOARDS! AND YOUR TRANSFORMER APPEARS TO BE TOAST!”

“actually paps, i’m pretty sure it metal and plastic.”

“SAAANNNS! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!”

“hehe, sorry bro. but hey, i think you’re right!”

“OF COURSE I’M RIGHT! HERE, PASS ME THOSE WIRE STRIPPERS”

Frisk tried to follow along, but decided it was much too complicated and turned to go back to cleaning.

“DONE!” Papyrus announced. “ALTHOUGH I DARE SAY ONE MORE REDUNDANT PATHWAY WOULD BE SAFER.”

“thanks bro, you’re the best.”

“How will you know if it’s going to work now?” Frisk asked, sweeping up glass by a large archway. 

“no way to know for certain,” Sans answered, shrugging, “at least not until the power returns and i can turn it on. but the boot up should be a lot quicker this time-”

He was inturrupted by the buzzing sound of power rerunning. “hey! well whatdaya know!!”

The large display screen flickered to life. Machinery around the room began to hum again. 

SYSTEM: OFFLINE

All the subroutines on screen were already green. They flickered away to a load screen already in progress. 

LOADING 50%

“what?” Sans furrowed his brow bones in confusion. “i know i said it’d be fast, but wow, it shouldn’t be going that fast.”

LOADING 75%

“oh, wait! sh-!!” Sans cried out, leaping for the large power switch. “the main’s still on!”

“BROTHER? IS EVERYTHING -”

100% LOADED

SYSTEM: ONLINE

Sans tugged against the large switch, trying to drag it upwards. Next to Frisk, the silver archway started crackling with electricity. Mesmerized, she watched as small arcs of lighting quickly crisscrossed the space, softening into a deep spinning blue shot through with white. 

A small breeze picked up the lab, pulled towards the whirlpool of blue. It got stronger, and Frisk clutched her little broom tighter as the wind began to pull her clothes towards the device. In a moment it was a gale. Her glass filled dustpan shifted in the strengthening wind before leaping off the ground only to dissappear into the swirling maw. 

“SANS?” Papyrus asked, voice rising in concern. “I THINK YOU NEED TO TURN IT OFF FOR NOW!”

“i can’t,” he cried, panicking, “it’s stuck!”

The wind picked up into a roar. With a shout of dismay, Frisk realized that the pull was getting too strong. “Papyrus! Help!”

“FRISK!” Papyrus cried out, leaping towards Frisk at the same moment her footing came lose. She felt Papyrus’ grip around her ankle as she dropped backwards into the portal. There was a jolt against her leg as he tried to pull her back, before he too lost his grip against the floor and was sucked towards the portal. 

“PAPYRUS!” she heard Sans scream. “NO!” She had just enough time to see him hurling a bone attack towards the machine before she was drawn fully into the vortex. The world whipped by in a dazzling display of sapphires and pearls. And then everything went black.


	2. Dunes and Don'ts

Somewhere far away, Sans bolted upright out of the sandy depression he’d been lying in. An uneasy feeling of dread crept across his bones. Pulling his phone out of his yellow rain slicker he checked the time. 11:23.

There had been reports of water dripping north of the ruins. He, Papyrus, and the cats had been sent out to try and find the source. He still had another hour at least before Papyrus would find the new oasis. It was a good one too, and would last for a week if Undyne could keep the cats out of it this time. 

It was too early, so if the time hadn’t woken him up, what did? Eyelights narrowed, he searched the dunes, wondering why he felt so uneasy. Nothing moved nearby, and he couldn’t hear any sound other than the ever present wind.

Rising to his feet he dusted off his shorts, black with a blue stripe, and took a few steps forward, climbing to the top of the sand dune. This far from the Core the false daylight was dim, but the grey shine was still strong enough to cast long shadows over the uneven landscape.

Sans froze as his eyes caught on an irregular shape in the next depression directly behind where he’d been napping. Low in the shadow, a dark form- no, TWO dark forms were lying prone on the ground. A minute passed as he watched, then another, but they didn’t move. How had they managed get so close without him noticing? Sans summoned a glowing blue bone, illuminating the sand as he began to carefully step down the slope. The light stretched over the largerof the figures, and it almost looked like-

“pa- papyrus!” he cried out as he recognized his brother. Quickly he slid down the bank on the heels of his blue slippers, almost skidding into him in his haste. He grabbed Papyrus by the shoulder of the weird platebody thing he was wearing and rolled him onto his back, noting with a detached part of his mind that the red sash he always wore was up around his neck for some reason. 

“bro? you ok?!” Papyrus’ eyes were closed, but he wasn’t dusting and his joints were holding together, a good sign. In fact, he looked positively youthful. There was something strange about his face, but Sans couldn’t put his fingerbone on it.

Turning his head slightly, he saw the light had revealed the second form more clearly as well. And he leapt back with a yelp, reflexively dragging his brother along with him.  
It was the human!

Frantically he dug into his yellow pocket again for his phone. What day was it? Had he slept a whole week? What in Asgore’s name was going on?  
Flipping the phone open, it confirmed to him that it was, in fact, the day he started with. The day Papyrus finds the oasis. Six days before the human normally appeared. Then… what were they doing here?

He looked over the human as he put his phone back. They were alive, Sans could tell by their breathing. Something was… they looked different. Their hair was brown instead of blond, and their shirt had horizontal stripes instead of vertical ones. In all the resets and all the times he’d seen the child, he’d never seen them looking quite like this. Not once.

This was new, this was all new. And in Sans's personal experience, new was never good. 

Gently, oh so gently, he shook his brother. “paps? papyrus? come on bro, wake up.” The large skeleton gave a slight groan and his hand curled into a loose fist. For the first time, Sans realized he was wearing thick red gloves. He picked up the hand, squeezing it reassuringly as he continued, “heh, i know you’re bone tired, but you gotta show some backbone here and get up.”

The groan got louder and Papyrus spoke up, eyes still closed. “Oh No, No More Puns Sans.”

Sans chuckled quietly, relieved. He glanced at the human again, it was still unconscious. “sorry paps, but you’ve got me all rattled here. nappin' in the sand is kinda my gig, you know?”

“Where? In The Basement? The Machine…” His eyesockets fluttered open, then suddenly focused on Sans’ skull. “Sans? What’s Wrong With Your Face?”  
Immediately Sans brought his finger bones up to his face. Same thin dry bone, same thin fissures around the edges of his mouth, eye sockets and… His eyes went wide with realization. That’s what was different about Papyrus’ face. 

It wasn’t dried out.

“y- you’re not papyrus,” he said, dropping the hand and backing away.

He watched as the doppleganger sat up, rubbing his head and looking at Sans with apparent concern in his eyes. “What? Of Course I Am The Great Papyrus! Who Else Would I Be?” He tried to laugh, but his Nyeh Heh Heh was decidedly weak, lacking the usually boisterous confidence it normally held. “Sans? What's Going On? Are You Alright? Where’s Frisk?”  
The copy turned, following Sans’ eye lights towards the still unmoving child. With a cry, ‘Papyrus’ scrambled over to pick them up. As the copy looked over the human, trying to wake them up, Sans looked over the sand around them. There were no footprints in the sand other than his own. 

That was when Sans decided he’d had enough. Taking one final glance at the face that was so much like his brother's, so much like his brother's should be.. He pulled the shortcut around him and vanished.

~~~

Well, this certainly was different, Sphinxy thought as he watched as the Not-Quite-Papyrus shake the Not-Quite-Frisk awake. 

There had been a bright flash of magic over the desert, like a silent lightning strike, and Sphinxy had immediately dissolved himself, slipping into the sand. He arrived at the flashpoint just in time to watch that smiley crockery freak out and disappear. Not something he normally got to catch the sneaky idiot in the act of doing. Sphinxy didn't even think Sans had noticed his crystals pushing through the dune.

There was something... odd about the two in front of him. 

They were both awake now, and Sphinxy slithered closer. The light must have reflected off one of his larger crystals, because the Not-Quite-Papyrus turned and looked directly at him with a small sound of surprise. Well, so much for staying hidden. He pulled the sand around his crystals, forming his usual, housecat sized sphinx shape.

“Howdy,” he purred cheerfully. “It's sure a surprise to see you here! You look just like my friend Papyrus!”

Not-Quite-Papyrus tilted his head to the side, as if the new perspective would show him something he didn't already see. 

“That Voice... Flowey?” The human next to him flinched in reaction to the name.

“No, silly,” he pulled a sandy paw to his face to stifle his giggling. “I'm Sphinxy. Sphinxy the Sphinx!”

A look passed between the two strangers, then the human waved its hands around in a weird, twitchy way. When it was done, the Not-Quite-Papyrus nodded. Was that some kind of language? Sphinxy frowned.

The tall skeleton looked down at him with a small frown on his face. “Um, Maybe, Asriel?”

Sphinxy definitely didn't feeling like giggling anymore. 

He scowled, drawing his longer shards to his mouth as fangs. Sand bubbled around him. It was a terrifying look he'd practiced over many timelines, and by the way the strangers flinched backwards he knew that it was just as effective on these copies as it was on his originals.

“Who told you that name!?” He roared as they retreated from him, staring at him with wide eyes. 

Impossible! He didn't know them, but somehow, they knew him. Sometimes, in new resets, he liked to provoke people by telling secrets he knew but they didn't. He didn't particularly like being on the receiving end. Especially when he was certain that anyone who would have known him had been reset over. Repeatedly.

Drawing his crystals through the sand, he pulled them upwards, forming the loose grit into hardened spikes. “Tell me!” They only stared, and it just made him angrier. He drew the spikes back, preparing to strike. “Final warning, tell me!”

“Sphinxy!” a famillar voice yelled from across the sand dunes. It was Papyrus. His Papyrus.

He stopped immediately, letting the weapons simply dissolve back into sand. He gave a glare at the strangers before putting quickly his normal face back on to face his friend. "Oh Papyrus! Golly, am I sure glad you're here!"


End file.
